Legal online bingo in the US

Unlike Nana’s weekly event down in Sunshine State, playing this game online is a somewhat arduous thing. It is not that it is tiresome in its own right, but rather the legislature can be tricky. Bingo, like other games of fortune people place wagers on, as such is not legal in all US states to begin with. So, let us see what we can uncover regarding this issue.

First of all, it may be observed that there are eleven US states where online gambling is illegal – period! Don’t try to place an online wager in Washington, Illinois, or even Nevada. Nevada, of all places! There is literally one (count it – one) legal poker site – World Series of Poker (WSOP.com).

Another thing you are urged to consider is not breaking additional laws. Oh, you will probably be able to place a bet. You may even win. But, lo and behold, a whole throng of complications is summoned from the pits of bureaucracy, which prevents you from collecting your winnings. For example, your fictional granny from the first paragraph may even play her favorite pastime for money, with one condition – all winnings go to charity. As noble as that is, it is not the main reason people play bingo.       

The main problem with online bingo is that the regulations surrounding it are non-existent, or unclear and murky. In many cases, you will find sites that allow you to make a deposit, but they will not pay out your winnings into your bank account in the US. The law forbids them (and by “them”, we mean the websites providing us with a service that includes bingo) from performing transactions with financial institutions. In other words, unless you have a bank from outside the US, or an international credit card, it’s not worth the bother. Canada is a better option, as far as this goes..

With this in mind, it is not a good idea to play bingo online using websites that operate outside US, especially if their services have the Americans as their target demographic. The reason behind this is simple – many aficionados try to avoid, or bend the rules, but this could easily come back to haunt them. It is illegal to use these websites. If you can’t help yourself, we suggest using some verified websites that do not earn money from gambling, but, again, where’s the fun in that?

To Sum Up

The bottom line is this – online bingo is illegal in the US. Do not try to play online. We have mentioned Nevada before – this state is known only for its deserts and gambling. Even there, you will not find legal online bingo, at least not the kind you can bet on. You could try to work the system, and bet from outside the US, but we advise against it – if that is the amount of trouble you are willing to go through, it is much better to just head to Las Vegas, or Atlantic City. This is one of those rare instances where we give the advantage over to land-based games.